While UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva has been stirring up controversy about his behavior from his fight against Damian Maia, his original opponent for "UFC 112: Invincible," Vitor Belfort has been healing hard, and focusing even harder.

Belfort was recently at the RVCA training center in Costa Mesa, Cailf., and MMA Spot has the exclusive interview with Silva’s potential next opponent. After being pulled from the UFC 112 card due to a shoulder injury, Belfort has been on the mend and is getting ready to have the fight that he was meant to fight.

Belfort reflects on his thoughts of seeing his replacement, Maia, in the cage against Silva instead of him: “It was a bad feeling, but what can you do? It wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to be there. It was painful for me, I was very excited to be at the UFC event but it just wasn’t good, until you can be there and beat the guy, and I have all the tools to do that, then I’m a happy guy.”

On his prospective opponent’s behavior toward Maia, which continues to make waves in the news, Belfort simply said, “I think that Dana [White] spoke for everyone.”

Belfort has been fighting on and off for the UFC since 1997, making him a long-time veteran of not only the organization, but the sport of MMA itself. He has fought some of the biggest names in the industry including Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Chuck Lidell, Tito Ortiz and Dan Henderson.

“I don’t miss nothing from back then,” said Belfort. “I think Lorenzo [Fertitta] and Dana, they made things better. Things just needed to grow up and they invested in the sport and worked hard for the fans and hopefully we can become the biggest sport in the world.”

The Brazil native is a devout family man with a wife and three children. His family is everything to him and he manages to balance his professional fighting career while keeping his family at top priority. “That’s who I am. [My career] doesn’t change anything,” said Belfort.

“The past is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, and today is cash in hand. That’s how I live my life. I always try to improve and look to the future. Many things that I did in the past, I regret, and for me and my wife, it’s never too late to improve. Everyday I try to make improvement in my life, in my personal and professional and my spiritual [life]. That’s how I see life and that’s how I live life,” he said.........continue reading